1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable computer, and more particularly, to a portable computer wherein supply of electric power for the portable computer is controlled by moving a latch member provided in a main body or display part of the portable computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, portable computers generally include a main body 100 and a display part 200 opening/closing access to an upper surface of the main body 100.
Within the main body are the portable computer components, such as a main board (not shown), CPU (not shown), and the like. In addition, typically, the upper surface of the main body 100 includes a key board 130, a touch pad 120, a main power switch 110 and the like. Along a front end portion of the upper surface, of the main body 100, there is also typically provided a latching part 140, to latch a latch member 230 of the display part 200 (to be described in more detail below).
The display part 200 typically includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) 210 for displaying an image, e.g., the desktop image for the portable computer's operating system. The free end of the display part 200 includes the latch member 230, capable of being latched in and released from the latching part 140, in a closed state of the display part 200, thereby contacting display part 200 to the upper surface of the main body 100. The latch member 230 typically further includes an operating knob 220 for moving the latch member 230 to/from a releasing position.
In the conventional portable computer, to supply electric power to the computer system, two operations are needed: a user must open the display part 200, relative to the main body 100, and then push a main power switch 110 provided on a surface of the main body 100. However, it is more convenient, if a user can supply electric power to the computer system with only one operation.